'Rattle Up A Tin Can' - Warnniklz spring black bear hunting 2015

[warnniklz]

When I was 6 or 7, my G-Pa's friend taught me and my brother a little ditty:

Rattle up a tin can,
Daddy shot a bear,
Shot him up the poop chute,
And never touched a hair

As usual this may be a long read, so I'll mark the action with big red letters.

So I ended up taking a week off... Which was blocked out for fishing and bear hunting obviously. I took a peek out a place we call "Dugan" lake on Sunday afternoon. However there was a metric shit-tonne of trucks pulling campers out. Needless to say I didn't see much.

Monday I ran out to another spot I always see lots of bears... once again same deal as Dugan.

Only could muster up one friend with a decent amount of time off. So we took a drive out past my Monday spot. After se got through all the farm land we saw a small blackie right away. We carried on. As usual with bear hunting, as soon as you start losing focus... you see animals.

We came around a corner onto a straight stretch a little fast. Up 100 yards a golden sheen came off the side of the road. We thought it was a small grizz at first. I got the binos up and it was a good size blonde black bear. But it had wandered into the trees and we couldn't find it again.

We finished up crusing a good sized circle. Then we had the idea of camping out "Dugan" lake. We got the last hour of fishing in. We got up at daylight and headed out on the boat. We never touched anything. So we decided on going for an afternoon drive.

We went out to my buddy's honey hole for moose. We seen a few bears, no shooters... until we jumped a gorgeous chocolate boar. We never did get a shot. But he was headed in the direction of the lake.

We got back to camp without seeing much else. So we went fishing for a bit. My buddy had just spent the last few days out camping already. So he wanted to head back to town. So we broke camp and started our way out.

Where the lake access road meets up with the main road, we seen a big chocolate again. He headed into the trees. I told my buddy to get ready on the main road. I grabbed my bow and headed into the trees. I started flanking him. I figured if I jumped him, he'd cross the road.

I wasn't very far in and spooked him. He stayed in the trees but didn't go far. So I quietly picked my way through the trees. I spotted him standing behind a couple trees at 15 yards. A shot I can make in my sleep, so I drew back.

[warnniklz]

He was broadside, just behind two trees. I had a good 2 feet between the trees. I was at full draw and could just see his head, front shoulder and ass. So I took a step over so I could see vitals. I released. The bear spun and took off huffing and puffing. We only had an hour of daylight left, so I called for my buddy. He came in and I told him what went down.

So we started off in the direction he went. We couldn't find any blood, but it was getting dark. Then we found the fletching half of my arrow with some blood!


Then another 5 yards up we found my broadhead half of my arrow.
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That's when I got the "**** me" feeling. We were also almost out of light. We backed out of the area and headed back to town. We knew our plan for the morning.

[warnniklz]

We were back at the spot by 7:30am. We found a couple small drops of blood on a log. Not much but it was a start. So we flagged it and walked a large quick grid to see if he piled up somewhere.

With no luck on that we went back to the flagged blood spot. It wasn't for another 10 yards before we found another drop. That's al it was, was a drop. There was more blood coming off of me from scratching mosquito bites.

We searched until 2pm looking for blood, though losing the blood trail long before that. It was to the point of us crawling on our hands and knees looking for blood.

My best guess it I got him through the flank or tricep. But I'm not sure really. Just seems wierd that both halfs of the arrow came out and there was no blood on the fletching. First time I've lost an animal. Only have ever experienced it once before hunting with another friend.

Bummed out we decided to head back into my buddy's moose honey hole. We verred off onto a side road. We were crusing along and my front end just sank. Guess who forgot his winch remote... this guy.
We spent the next two hours jacking, stuffing logs under tires and falling in the mud.
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When we got out I told my buddy "well now that we did all the useless work... let's go get you a bear"

[warnniklz]

FOR THE SHORT READ START HERE

After all the other mishaps, we decided to head out past the lake again. On our way back my buddy spotted a nice cinnamon bear. He's shot a couple bears, but is still pretty green at judging and identifying the sex.

I got the binos on him. I told him it was a decent boar. Out we get with rifles in hand. The bear started to move up the hill. Buddy fired and the bear dropped his back end a bit. He was aiming between the shoulder blades but hit him back too far. Immediately he followed up With another shot. By this time the bear was almost to the top of the hill.

I bail over the fence line up the hill. I could hear my buddy yell "my gun's ****ed". I told him "I don't care about your gun, there's blood everywhere". The bear was still on all fours and moving, but not quickly.

I got to the top of the hill and spotted the bear again. I put a 140 grain accubond into him and he rolled while yelling. I followed up again and he was down.

My buddy finally got to the top of the hill. He brought hid rifle to me. Somehow his firing pin was stuck foreward so he couldn't clise hid bolt. I straighted his rifle out for him. We made our way closer to the bear. He was still breathing slowly. So my buddy put the last round in. I told him to watch him.

I made my way backtback to the truck to grab my pack. I got back to him. Earlier he was asking how to debone an animal. So I went to work on the bear showing ny buddy what's what. I slung the bag of meat onto my back and huffed the meat out while buddy packed the hide.

[warnniklz]

We spent the evening cutting meat while dinning on tenderloin, backstrap, heart and testicles... I'm kicking myself now for not keeping animal nuts...







It was buddy's 3rd bear and his biggest yet. We seen 15 bears in the last 2 days and seen more cicinnamon and blibde bears than black bears.

[ruger#1]

What do they taste like? Did you eat the pecker? Sorry for getting personal.

[warnniklz]

Green score of 18"

Didn't eat the pecker. I offered my buddy to save it to stir his coffee in the morning. Told him it gives magical powers if he did... didn't go for it.

As for the nuts we fried them in oil (poke a hole in them first, or they pop) then sliced them... they taste kind of like bacon

[adriaticum]

Good job pickles.
I think prairie oysters are wasted by many.
Here is an idea

[srupp]

Great adventure Warren..your granpad Ed and your Dad greybeard..errr Kerry would be proud of you..you have grown up well, and are a most acomplished outdoorsman...congraduations awesome color.
Cheers
Steven

[Sylus]

Awesome bear and write up!